Brighter than the Sun
by Mira Kial
Summary: Naka, a jewel thief, finds herself face to face with Arceus, who helps her change her ways and find hope. Meanwhile, Arceus begins to question strong beliefs he has held for centuries. A prequel to Behind the Mirror. AU.
1. Prologue

_1900 A.D._

_Matsuyama, Japan_

Naka still remembered the sky erupting with fire around her, hot and hungry, that New Year's Day. The fireworks, red and white and green and gold, all filled the air above cries of triumph. _The new century! It will be a brilliant new age of light and hope for all!_

She ran. Her legs burned and her lungs screamed. She wove between streets, crowds and lantern-lit homes, as the policemen and their houndoom called for her. Looking back meant risking a collision, so she kept her eyes trained forward, never knowing how close they were to her.

As she reached the edge of town, the red-clothed crowds and fiery lanterns thinned. The sack of stolen gold still hung from her back, and with every step, it bounced against her ribcage and bruised her further. Behind her, the angry barks grew in volume, and she knew they could see her plainly, no longer hidden by crowds.

_I'm sorry, Mother._

She dropped the ten-pound sack and flew into the night, praying that the policemen would accept her offering, take it back to its original owner, and be done with it. There would be no use in arresting a mere girl of thirteen. Her parents had no money to release her, and besides that, they'd have no _desire _to, now that she had dishonored them.

At length, when her lungs felt like they would burst, her prayers were answered. The voices began to fade, as did the firelight. She tried to slow her pace to a brisk walk, but the exhaustion caught up to her faster than she could contain it, and her knees buckled under her. She fell gracelessly to the barren earth, her elbows and head thudding painfully. Her heartbeat throbbed against her muscles, and it burned her to breathe. But somehow - perhaps due to New Year's good fortune - she was safe.

Naka forced herself to roll to her back. Above her, the winter stars were tiny royal children, laughing and twinkling. She imagined the great night palace, decked in blue and black and silver, and the moon watching over her little dancing children. Perhaps, when they looked down upon the poor, starving people below them, they looked as small as the stars looked to her…

Something rustled behind her, and she reflexively shot back to her feet and began running again, toward the west sea. Nothing seemed to be pursuing her now, but she could feel the eyes of mightyena and noctowl upon her back. _Keep running, keep running, _she told herself. _Don't think. Just run._

But despite her best efforts, the thoughts edged into her mind, like rattata nosing for scraps. She thought of her soft, quiet father and her stern-eyed mother. Her little sister and brother, too young to work and too weak to play games in the street. And the _hunger. _It was there like gravity. Silent but powerful. Unquestionable, unchangeable. Never gone.

And, with it, a slow, simmering, desperate anger.

She stopped and sank to the cold ground again, but this time she heard someone wailing. As if she were a ghost, she realized after some time that it was _her. _The sound of it startled her; it was like a baby. But the tears rolled out of her eyes and the sobs seized her chest, and the pain filled her every bone, her every pore.

_I'll never see Mother again. I'll never see any of my family again. _She dug her fingers into the dirt below her and then curled up on her side, hugging her knees._ I've dishonored them and sentenced myself to a future by myself. _The darkness of that prospect pierced her chest and then began to eat away at her body, inch by inch, swallowing her whole.

It almost seemed an eternity before Naka's ears registered the sound of another rustling, but her body and mind were too weak to run again.

"Just eat me," she whispered to whatever creature it was. "Kill me…"

The rustling stopped for a moment, but then it slowly approached her. With an exhausted sigh, Naka forced herself up on one elbow and looked.

There, bathed in moonlight, emerging from a distant line of skeletal trees, was a tall, white-furred pokemon. She could not decide whether it was a rapidash or a stantler, or some odd combination of the two. Its thick fur shone with pure, snowy light, its hooves glistened with gold, and it eyes glittered with something deep and black. It struck her that a _soul _was looking at her, something old and intelligent.

Her mother had once told her of the legendary spirits, the creatures that had made the world and everything in it. _The kami are all around us, _her mother had told her as a tiny child, looking her deep in the eyes. _They watch over us alongside our ancestors. They teach us to be kind, brave, and just._

The spirit stared at her silently, one hoof lifted as if it had paused mid-step. Slowly, as if trying not to startle her, it lowered its head so it was closer to hers, perhaps only five meters away.

It occurred to Naka that the creature had probably heard her weeping. With a cough of embarrassment, Naka rose to her knees, adjusted her night-black hair, and bowed, her forehead touching the hard earth.

"Kami-sama," she whispered. "Great spirit, I honor you."

There was no response. Wind rustled among the leafless trees, and the faraway sea whispered a sleeping song. Naka's heart thudded within her, and when silence was too much to bear, she lifted her head.

The spirit, twice her height, had not moved. It simply stood, breathing slowly, examining her with narrowed, green-flecked eyes. Then it took one step back, and with a small huff of air, the creature turned away.

"No!" Naka cried, despite herself, and leapt forward. "Stay. Please stay…"

At that, the spirit froze. Its back was still to her, but it angled its head to look at her sideways.

Shame burned in Naka's face, and she bowed again. "I… am sorry, Kami-sama. I am not worthy to be in your presence. I should not ask such a thing of you."

But the spirit angled itself back towards her. It huffed again - a low, soft sound. After a few moments of staring silently at the creature, Naka realized that perhaps the sound was a question. _Who are you? _its eyes seemed to say.

She reached up to adjust her hair and wipe at her face, then sat straightly before the spirit, hands clasped. "My name is Yoshida Naka. I am the daughter of a cobbler. That is… he was once a cobbler, before his business failed…"

The spirit nodded slightly and tilted its head, huffing again. It took another step toward her, which brought its head within three meters of hers. Her chest seized up, and her eyes widened.

"I…" she gulped. Her lip trembled. "Do you wish something from me? I have nothing to give you, Kami-sama…"

The spirit shook its head slowly, then huffed again, a bit louder.

An unexpected surge of frustration welled within Naka's bloodstream, and she stood up. "What are you _asking_ me? I am not wise; I cannot understand you. I am only a poor, starving thief!" The word caught in her throat. "My father cannot find work. My mother is sick and my siblings are dying. I tried to save them by stealing gold, but I was caught, and now I cannot return to my family. I would be discovered and arrested, and my family would be forever dishonored!" She stepped forward, attempting to keep the tears at bay. "I am nothing but an animal!"

The creature took a small step back as she approached it. It lifted its head and closed its eyes, and something pained was on its dark-skinned face.

_It is disgusted with me, _Naka realized, and she bowed again. The tears fell freely now that her face was concealed. "Y-you are a god," she croaked, "so tell me what to do for the rest of my life. Tell me how to survive… how to live..."

The air was silent again, and she sighed as the darkness welled within her heart again. _Even the spirits will not speak to me, _she despaired. _I have not been kind and just. I do not deserve their blessings…_

But then she felt something upon the back of her head, something soft. It encircled her neck and her back, until the soft warmth was all around her body, filling up her bloodstream and relieving her of the winter's cold.

Gasping, she rose. The spirit had stepped forward and settled to the ground near her, wrapping its neck around her body. The heat thudded in her chest and filled her face with tears. Sighing, she clutched at the thick white fur of its chest. She buried her face in it and sobbed. The spirit did not move or make a single sound, but it simply sat and allowed her to wet its chest with her tears.

"Thank you," she found herself whispering. She cradled the warmth in her heart, willing it to never leave her. "Thank you…"

The spirit lifted its neck slightly, and huffed. She turned around to meet its eyes, and it was staring intently into hers.

_Your future is bright, Naka._

Something like electricity shot into Naka's body, and she gasped. The voice was gentle and kind, but it pierced to her very center. It was deep, like her father's. She heard it not with her ears, but with her mind.

_Your future is brighter than the sun. Go and spread happiness to others._

His eyes filled hers, those night-black oceans flecked with moonlit green. Something glinted in the creature's face, something soft. Something like love.

He stood up then, and like the wind, crossed the clearing and vanished behind the trees.

The warm electricity still flowed through Naka's bloodstream, and despite herself, she smiled. _He spoke to me! I'm not unworthy…_

But still, the darkness threatened at the corners of her mind. _But how will my family and I survive?_

Then she looked down at the ground before her.

There, beneath where the spirit's chest had been moments before, was a thick plate of solid gold. It shone softly under the moonlight, only as wide as her two hands. It was etched with some sort of writing, something she could not read.

Trembling, she picked up the plate and held it tightly to her chest. She looked up at where the spirit had disappeared, and then stood and bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Kami-sama," she said with her full voice, hoping he could hear her. "I promise to help others as you have helped me."


	2. The Sign

1955

_Sea of Okhotsk_

Arceus breathed in and searched for heaven.

He felt the salty wind fill his nostrils and flow through his body, as it always did when he floated just inches above the sea. The sky was heavy with clouds. Rain approached, it seemed. And so did blessings, as they always did when it rained.

_Show me my next path._

His eyes closed as he focused. With every cell in his mind, he searched for… _it. _Sometimes it was a whisper, and other times it was the roar of thunder. Often, it was no sound at all, but an amorphous sort of feeling. After ten thousand years of being alive, he still failed to define what _it _was. But, when he was in the right mental place, it always came.

_Where shall I go?_

A tongue of water whipped against his front hoof, cold and fast-moving. It nudged him to the left, and he opened his eyes.

There, to the southwest, a brilliant ray of light spilled down between two stormclouds. It was the eastern coast of Japan, dotted with small towns and flecked with rivers. He'd visited this place once or twice, but never settled there for longer than a day or two.

_Is this my path?_

Again, he did not hear a word, but the light continued to bathe the horizon. Brilliant and straight, a rod of gold.

Arceus took that as an answer, and flew forth. The salty winds chilled his body as he shot toward the green shore. Within an hour, he touched the verdant land. There were no humans as far as he could see, but he did not wish to take any more chances than necessary.

With another deep breath, he sank to his knees and bowed his head. The transformation began the second he willed it to, but it still startled him by a small degree. It was a spell that Miu had woven millennia ago, one that had laced itself deep into Arceus's cells, never to be removed. Every ligament and sinew seized up. Cold electricity flew through his bloodstream as his muscles contracted, his bones shortened, and his nerves went numb.

And just as quickly, his fingers and toes were pressed into the dewy grass, and salty air flowed in and out of his human nostrils. In the grass before him lay a small diamond-shaped shard of gold, which had once sat implanted into his forehead in his true form. He picked it up, smoothed back his hair, and gazed upon the horizon, a vague gray blur of a town.

_I do hope this will be a peaceful town, _he thought to himself as he stood up. _One in which I can keep a polite and quiet distance. _Wind battered his skin, and he smiled. _I grow weary of moving often. Perhaps I will stay a long while…_

* * *

Rain and lightning pelted the small town of Nemuro. Arceus stepped between small homes and shops, holding a jade-green umbrella he'd bought the moment he entered the town. A few streetlights attempted to light the lifeless streets, but the incessant rain warped their light to the point that Arceus felt as if he were drowning.

_Perhaps I misinterpreted the sign, _he mused. _This tempest seems to be inviting me to leave at once!_

And then he glanced to his right, and saw a young boy, perhaps six years of age. He wore no raincoat and held two scrawny arms above his face, ducking under the rain. As he walked clumsily toward Arceus, he looked up. His eyes narrowed. "Why are you just standing there?" the boy called out, voice raised against the thunder.

Arceus cocked an eyebrow. "Well, to give you my umbrella, I suppose." He offered it to the boy, angling it toward his small fingers. "Why are _you _walking in the middle of a storm?"

"Because my home is on the other side of town," the boy said matter-of-factly, and took the umbrella without so much as a bow. "Where do you live?"

"Nowhere, as of now," Arceus replied, and smirked. "I will escort you home."

The boy held up his head and marched forward. "I'm fine. Naka said not to talk to strangers…"

Arceus chuckled and rejoined the boy. "You could be attacked by a herd of gastrodon in such heavy rain. I must protect you." Then he narrowed his eyes, wondering why the boy had referred his mother by her first name. "Your mother would scold you for staying out so late…"

"Naka's not my _mother!" _the boy protested, his nose wrinkling. But then he squinted at Arceus and smiled slightly. "But she's just like one."

At that, Arceus's eyes widened. He attempted to coax more information out of the boy about this Naka of his, but the child seemed overly distracted by other topics, such as his recent exploits of catching baby staryu at the seashore. Arceus eventually gave up and kept a patient silence, letting the boy prattle on happily.

At length, they reached a large, tree-flanked house. Its front door was lit from above by a single yellow lantern, sheltered from the rain by a long wooden awning. Just below the lantern was a small red-painted sign, written with simple and elegant handwriting: _Yoshida Orphanage. Making the future bright._

Something within Arceus's chest seized up, and warmth spread up his neck. _It couldn't be. It couldn't possibly be._

"This is it," the boy sighed, and banged on the door. He glanced up at Arceus sheepishly. "Y'know… you weren't actually wrong. She _is_ going to yell at me. She told me to come home _before _sunset…"

Then the door creaked open, and Arceus felt every ounce of gravity release itself from his body.

A woman stood there, perhaps in her late sixties. Her hair, arranged neatly in a high bun, was a streaked blend of black and white. She had a broad face, elegantly narrow eyes, and wrinkles that suggested a weary but fierce soul inside. It was the very face he remembered from a half-century ago, but mature… and strong.

"Takahiro!" the woman gasped, and seized the boy immediately. "Get inside this _instant,_ young man! Take off your wet clothes!"

The boy bowed hastily and ran inside, dropping the umbrella to the ground in his panic.

"Foolish boy, don't drop the man's umbrella!" the woman called again, and sighed as she bent over to pick it up.

"Ah, please, don't trouble yourself," Arceus protested, and hastily recovered it from the mud. Standing up, he met Naka's deep brown eyes, and felt an uneasy smile come to his face. "P-perhaps your young boy would have more use from it than… I would…"

"Absolutely not," Naka answered, and bowed to him deeply from her waist. Rising, she spoke in a softer voice, "I won't have Takahiro inconveniencing you on your way home _and _stealing your umbrella. Thank you for bringing him to me, sir."

"It is my duty," Arceus found himself saying, and then chuckled from the absurdity of it all. He bowed deeply to the woman, holding it for a few seconds, and rose. "I am happy… that you…" He cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "I am relieved to have restored him to you, Yoshida-san."

Naka sighed and put her hands on her hips. "He loses track of time and goes off into his own little world. I don't know whatever I will do with him." She shook her head, and then glanced at Arceus. "You, too, need drying. Come in. I will give you warm food."

"No," Arceus said reflexively. The centuries and millennia of avoiding humans, maintaining a healthy balance between the mortal and immortal, had implanted firmly into his being, and he spoke the word entirely without thinking. "That is… er…" He smiled and bowed again. "I am honored by your offer, and thank you for it. But I must return home. It is growing late, you see." He bowed a third time, then began to turn away. "I… bid you a good evening, Yoshida-san."

"Good night," Naka replied, her eyes narrowing slightly. As Arceus turned away, she called out, "But at least tell me the name of Takahiro's kind escort."

Despite himself, Arceus chuckled again. He turned, meeting Naka's eyes. "Seishiro," he decided. "Kaito Seishiro."

"Kaito-san," the woman replied, bowing again. She frowned. "You do not want a bit of hot tea before you return home? Do you live near here? I have not seen you before."

"Do not trouble yourself," Arceus said again, and smiled sadly. "I am just passing through, on my way to a different town."

"Hmm," said Naka. She clasped her hands together, and the wrinkles about her eyes tightened. "I cannot force you to stay, then?"

"Unfortunately not," Arceus replied, through his chest pinched and he longed to speak to her all night. But he forced himself to bow yet again, then turned himself away and proceeded into the rain.

_I must have indeed misinterpreted the sign, _he decided, expanding the umbrella above him._ I must not allow myself to speak to this woman again. We cannot afford to reveal ourselves to humans. Not again._


	3. The Gift

That night, Arceus dreamt of death. Humans bleeding on the battlefields of one thousand years ago, pokemon broken and discarded, ghosts bewailing their early demise. And Giratina, brows creased in deep thought, watching it all unfold.

Though the old dragon had attempted to maintain a calculated, careful detachment, his blood-red eyes had been full of subtle storms. Contempt, resentment and uncertainty orbited around one another, never slowing. Between the shadows was a spark of joy, a glint of hope, but trapped and suffocated beneath the gravity of grief.

_Only six years._

Giratina's countenance had transformed since the war of one thousand years ago. Arceus had watched over him from afar, conjuring up just enough distortion so as to peek into the Reverse World, assess Giratina's wellbeing, and disappear before the banished dragon could notice him. But it was enough for Arceus to see that the storms in his eyes had abated, and he now carried himself with a new sort of dignity.

Arceus yearned to speak to him, even a single word. However, he hadn't the faintest fathom of what he _would _say to the old ghost. A few words had come to him in his dream that night, though as he awoke to the piercing, pouring sunlight the next morning, the words fled from him like a flock of spearow.

With a yawn, Arceus arose and blinked his eyes against the brilliant sun, filtering in through wood-slat windows.

_Six more years, _he thought again, and rose to his knees. He carefully rearranged the thick blanket over the white futon, smoothing the corners gratefully. This humble inn was dry, clean and comfortable, which was more than what he could have asked for on such a rainy night.

He slipped on a shirt and pants, then slid the rice door closed and stepped quietly into the front room. It was decorated with richly-colored vases and woodblock paintings, and reminded him somewhat of his old home in Okinawa, before he had received a prompting to leave and take up residence elsewhere. Only a few staff members milled about, and they bowed politely to him as he passed. He returned the bow, placed a sizable pile of gold coins upon the desk, and hurried out the door before the staff could make any protestations.

The sky outside was wide and clear, save for a shelf of dark clouds far to the east. _The storm yet continues, _he mused. He turned around the corner of the inn and proceeded along its outer wall, avoiding the main road. _Lady Kyogre will likely receive it next, should it continue out into the Pacific. I pray that it does; she has complained of drought as of late…_

Behind him, Arceus heard a rapid thudding of footsteps. He turned just in time to see a young boy with messy black hair disappear into the inn.

"Have you seen a Kaito Seishiro around here?" called Takahiro's voice from inside the inn.

Arceus stopped with a jolt. He backed against the exterior wall, then carefully peeked in through the window. Squinting between the slats, he could make out Takahiro's shape, standing before the front desk. He seemed to be holding something purple and blue, though its shape was difficult to determine.

"What is your purpose in inquiring, Takahiro?" the innkeeper replied with low, suspicious tone.

_The whole town must know this boy, _Arceus guessed with a small smirk. _He would indeed be a difficult one to forget…_

"Uh, well," the boy stammered, "N-Naka told me she'd give me a whole plate of senbei if I could find Seishiro and deliver this to him."

Arceus's eyes widened. _Deliver what?_

"I already tried the two other inns," Takahiro sighed, "and they didn't know him. But he must have stayed _somewhere!_"

Arceus chuckled. _He is certainly tenacious…_

The innkeeper paused for a moment, then replied, "Kaito-sama indeed stayed at our inn, but recently left on his journey. My apologies."

Takahiro groaned loudly. "Okay… thanks, sir."

The boy then took off like a shot out of the inn. Arceus turned to watch him race down the road, back toward the orphanage. His shoulders tensed. _Perhaps I could follow him…_

Behind him, Arceus heard a low sigh. "Gods be praised," the inkeeper muttered under his breath. "Kaito-san has left us an undeserved gift. Perhaps I will find him and thank him…"

A jolt of energy flew down Arceus's back when he heard the front door slide open once more. Wasting no time, he crouched behind a nearby oak and found Takahiro's small form far down the road. The boy had slowed his pace to a trot, dangling the small cloth-wrapped parcel lazily from one hand.

With a deep breath, Arceus edged between magnolia trees and small homes to follow Takahiro from a safe distance. Young starly twittered from branches, and torchic chirped from the shadowed coops alongside farmhouses. Far ahead, Takahiro hummed some sort of marching song, swinging his parcel back and forth with the beat.

_I should not be following him, _Arceus realized, though his feet carried him forward. _I'd have to stop the boy very soon, if I have any hope of receiving my gift without Naka seeing me. It would be wiser simply to turn away and move on. _He stopped in his tracks, and sighed.

Before him, the youth froze as well, and Arceus's heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, his hand flew to his chest, where he felt the ghost plate pulsing within him. It materialized quietly within his hand, and with a sharp breath, he willed his body to fade into the air. It was a technique he had learned by observing Giratina, many thousands of years ago. Any casual passerby would only see empty air, but if one examined it closely enough, they would have seen the vaguest outline of a human form.

Takahiro turned and stared at Arceus.

Arceus's breath caught in his throat, but the boy's face gave no indication of seeing anything.

"Hmm," the boy muttered to himself. "Should I…" He paused for a moment, holding up the parcel to his eyes. Then he shook his head and trudged forth. "No, that would be stupid…"

Arceus's brow furrowed. His curiosity consuming him, he followed the boy on until the orphanage, tall and built of dark cherry-wood, stood before them. Carefully, Arceus hid himself behind a thick blukberry bush and watched.

Takahiro approached the door and held up one fist to knock. But, inches from the door, he paused. It seemed an eternity before the boy stepped back from the door, looked around in all directions, and then leapt to the ground near a great oak tree.

_What on earth is this child planning? _Arceus narrowed his eyes.

With a small chuckle, the boy found a large flat stone and began digging into the soft earth below him. Within several minutes, he formed a hole as large as a man's two feet. Slowly, carefully, he lifted up the parcel.

Arceus gasped. His fingers twitched. _He is not burying it, is he?_

"Heh," Takahiro exhaled as he set the parcel neatly inside the whole, and then began to swipe dirt back over it. "More senbei for me…"

Fire snapped in Arceus's bloodstream. He stood up straight and took a few steps toward Takahiro. "Young man!" he growled.

With a scream, the boy jumped up and tripped over a tree root, crashing to the ground behind him. Mortal terror lay on his face, and his chest heaved. "Y-you _followed _me?!"

Arceus stepped toward him, glaring. "Do you _truly _value senbei that much that you will trade your _integrity_ for it?"

The boy's eyes bugged. "I - uh, well, I'm sorry!" And with that, the boy jumped up and began to run toward the orphanage's entrance.

"Stop and look at me, Takahiro," Arceus commanded.

The boy stopped, but did not face Arceus. His shoulders hunched, and his head drooped. "Y-your present is over there," he said in a small, shaky voice. "So… take it."

Arceus sighed and approached the boy. "Did you truly intend to lie to your guardian?"

"_No!_" the boy shouted hastily, but then he clasped his arms together. "I was… just gonna say that I left it with someone to give to you!"

Arceus planted a firm hand on the boy's shoulder, and gently pulled on it until the boy sighed and turned to face Arceus. Their eyes locked, but then Takahiro looked down, cringing.

"You must not betray Naka's trust," Arceus said in a low voice. "She asked you to do a task that was important to her, but you intended to take advantage of her trust."

Takahiro drew in breath to reply, but then stopped. His mouth warped into a scowl. "Just take the stupid present," he muttered after a brief pause. "Why do you even care?"

Arceus's eyes widened. But before he could reply, the door behind Takahiro creaked open, revealing Naka standing with hands on her hips. The boy wrenched himself out of Arceus's grip and threw himself into the orphanage, causing Naka to gasp as she hurriedly edged out of his way.

"Takahiro!" Arceus gasped, walking after the boy.

"Please," said Naka, holding up a hand. She nodded knowingly at Arceus. "He is always like that with me. You musn't worry yourself over him."

Arceus frowned. "He has not learned to respect you, Yoshida-san. You must teach him not to lie to you."

Naka's eyes tightened. She silently closed the door behind her, then turned and approached Arceus. She clasped her hands, bowed briefly, and then rose. "I did not think Takahiro-kun would actually find you," she explained, with a bit of a wry glint in her eyes. "I simply wanted to give him something important to do. Yet, it seems fate has brought you once again to my doorstep, Kaito-san."

With an uneasy smile, Arceus returned the bow. "You did not need to send me a gift. It is very kind of you."

"It is not a large gift," said Naka with a sigh. She then began to walk past Arceus, toward the half-buried parcel. "I can find something more suitable for you."

Arceus hurried past Naka and crouched, lifting the small tablecloth-wrapped package and dusting it off carefully. "Please," he said quietly, standing up and meeting her eyes, "do not trouble yourself any further."

"Come in and eat something," Naka said suddenly, hardness in her voice.

Arceus paused, and his eyes shifted. "I… really must be going -"

"The nearest town from here is fifty kilometers away," Naka interrupted. "Wherever you are going, it is a long journey, and you have brought no bags with you." She smirked. "That little package is not nearly enough to sate you for all your travels. Let me feed you; I _insist_."

Arceus's eyes widened as the woman turned back to the door, opened it, and gestured. "I will give you enough to feed you for a week!" she proclaimed.

_Heaven help me, _Arceus thought desperately as he nodded gratefully and entered the orphanage. _I must be an utter fool. _


End file.
